Amid U.S. foreign aid freeze, CRS' Rice Bowl could be in 'its strongest moment,' says founder

(OSV News) -- At the start of Catholic Relief Services' 2025 Rice Bowl initiative -- an annual Lenten program blending almsgiving and prayer to provide aid to overseas and domestic aid -- OSV News spoke with Rice Bowl founder Msgr. Robert Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, about the program as it marks its 50th year.

Through Rice Bowl, participants donate Lenten alms, voluntarily eating simple meals and learning about those who benefit from the campaign worldwide. The program, known for its iconic cardboard donation boxes, provides testimonials and recipes from the countries where CRS serves, and fosters prayerful solidarity among participants.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OSV News: The Rice Bowl collection aids both domestic and overseas relief and development efforts, with 25% remaining in participants' dioceses and 75% aiding those abroad. Given the current U.S. government's suspension of foreign aid, which has impacted CRS initiatives, how do you view this year's Rice Bowl collection?

Msgr. Coll: Well, I think it could be its strongest moment, because the more funds you receive from the people, the greater pressure you put on governments to assist in a variety of ways.

For example, even if I could buy 100 tons of wheat, I wouldn't have enough money to transport it across the United States into Africa and then truck it throughout Africa. So that's where you say, "Look, we have the initiative to pay for these programs. It won't cost you a cent. All we need is (to buy) the commodities."

And the idea of Operation Rice Bowl itself is an appeal for the world. If you spell out the initials, it's "O.R.B." -- Latin for "world."

OSV News: You began this program in 1975 as an interfaith effort when you were pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Allentown, Pennsylvania. How did Rice Bowl move from a local to a national initiative, and what are your thoughts about that journey?

Msgr. Coll: We started this program in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and included the Protestant churches plus the rabbi. And it was done on a communal basis in the whole city. On the Wednesday of each week, the newspaper in town would put the (Rice Bowl) menu on the top of the front page for people to follow. So we tried to make it a community thing.

At the same time, the (41st International) Eucharistic Congress was being held in Philadelphia. And it was under the tutelage of Cardinal (John) Krol (then archbishop of Philadelphia). When he heard about the program, he invited us to Philadelphia to explain what was going on. He liked the idea, especially since the theme of the Eucharistic Congress was "The Eucharist and the Hungers of the Human Family."

And of course, there was the hunger for bread, which was being experienced especially in the Sahel in Africa (part of the 1972-1975 global food crisis). The hunger throughout the world at that time was frightening, I mean, really frightening.

And so on the occasion of the congress, a petition was forwarded to the American bishops. They said they would like to continue the Rice Bowl program throughout America, and that's how it got started.

At the time, CRS was serving or assisting in the development of over 100 countries in the world. So it was a logical relationship between CRS and Rice Bowl, because a lot of it had to do with the distribution of food.

And, of course, the funds that were made available through Rice Bowl enabled you to do more with the international community, because you could substantiate and put in progress programs immediately, since you were already there (in country). You had the funds, plus you also had, for the most part, the backing of the international community, including Caritas Internationalis (the official humanitarian network of the universal Catholic Church), which was in every country in the world.

I think the satisfaction (of Rice Bowl) comes from the fact that the people understood what you were trying to do. In other words, if there were grave problems in the world, to ignore them would itself be unacceptable as a Catholic and as a Christian.

OSV News: In a 2021 interview, you noted the role of Catholic media in helping to raise Rice Bowl to a national level. Could you recount those details?

Msgr. Coll: At the time of the (1976) Eucharistic Congress, then-Msgr. (later Cardinal) John Foley was the editor of the diocesan newspaper in Philadelphia. And he and I had been friends in the seminary. He did a short story on Rice Bowl and then mentioned it to Cardinal Krol. And the cardinal said, "Well, let's talk to him."

And another interesting thing, too, was that Cardinal Korl had invited to the Eucharistic Congress the relatively unknown Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the archbishop of Krakow.

And so you had kind of a triangle there: He would become Pope John Paul II, Msgr. Foley would become a cardinal, and Cardinal Krol already was just that. They had taken the hunger for food as a serious commitment to the international community. It was a very pleasant marriage. It was natural.

OSV News: Along with material aid, the Rice Bowl initiative incorporates prayer and reflection throughout Lent. Was this your spiritual vision for Rice Bowl?

Msgr. Coll: Our idea was that this was to be a "para-liturgy," if you will -- that the father (of a household), on Wednesday night, would read something from Scripture and his wife would prepare the so-called meal for Rice Bowl, so that you mixed the physical with the spiritual.
And that's what it became, and it had appeal.

My great fear was that it would become a collection. It was never intended to be a collection. It was intended to be an informative experience for the family.